History

MAWD Pathology Group was incorporated in the State of Kansas in 1969 as a C corporation.

MAWD’s unusual name comes from the first initials of the original four pathologists who started the group: William McPhee, MD, Louis Allen, MD, Earl Wright, MD and C. Terrence Dolan, MD. During the first decade, the group focused on providing hospital services to the Kansas City region. The first hospitals were North Kansas City Hospital, Spelman Memorial Hospital, St. John Hospital, Cushing Hospital, Excelsior Springs Medical Center, Liberty Hospital, and Wright Memorial Hospital. Other hospitals were added during the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s.

At the urging of North Kansas City Hospital, the group started a reference laboratory to provide more esoteric testing to its hospitals and also to the physician offices associated with the hospitals. An information system was needed to integrate the entire laboratory’s testing data with the hospitals. This system eventually became a separate entity: Cerner. The clinical reference laboratory was sold in 1990 but the professional anatomic pathology practice was retained.

MAWD Pathology Group has now grown to involve 14 pathologists. This includes three board certified hematopathologists, three board certified dermatopathologists, two pathologists with fellowship training in gastrointestinal (GI) pathology, and the region’s only board certified molecular genetic pathologist. Every pathologist at MAWD has at least one area of expert focus, even when board certification is not available. MAWD Pathology Group employs many of the region’s recognized leaders in subspecialty pathology.